Digital Scrapbooking, Your First Digital Layout using FotoFusion

Like paper scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking utilizes a combination of digital kits, papers, alphas, stamps, ribbons, and a variety of other digital scrapbooking embellishments. Unlike paper, however, digital scrapbooking gives you the freedom to resize, recolor, and reuse any product in your supply stash. Best of all, there's no mess to put away when you're finished with your page! And this is a great way for getting started, capturing your memories with your first layout! Here at DesignerDigitals we offer one of the largest varieties of digital products featuring Katie Pertiet's designs. This guide will help you get started on your layouts with some great tips.

When you create a digital scrapbooking layout or image, you do it in much the same way that you would with traditional scrapbooking, in that you layer papers and elements on top of one another. Each paper, photo, or embellishment exists on its own layer in your document, and you can reposition them at your discretion.

Here are some simple steps for creating a basic digital layout using LumaPix FotoFusion V. 4.5 to help you get started.

Download a digital kit and unzip it, making note of where you have placed the unzipped folder.

Open FotoFusion in Scrapbook Essentials mode

Go to File > New Project. Then choose New Project from the next screen. This takes you to the Start Here screen. Locate the pop-up menu below the paper size choices and choose 12x12 from the menu.

This will open your layout document in the Create window. Make sure that the Create tab is selected and choose File > Add Images to browse your computer for your unzipped kit components. Locate the file of a paper you would like to use for a background. Click Open.

Your cursor will be attached to the paper image. Shift as you click, then choose Make Canvas Background. Your paper will be "glued" to the open document.

To add a photo, click Add Images and browse your computer for a digital photo. Select the photo you want to use and click Open. Click once on the scrapbook page to drop the photo.

7. Repeat the process with a frame and other embellishments of your choice.

Position your elements on your page by clicking and dragging the element you want to move. You have created a simple, but beautiful layout.

Make sure to check out all our other great kits in the store. Our digital scrapbooking kits and paper packs are a great place to start! They include designer papers and an assortment of digital elements, brushes and alphabets for your layouts. Included also are such things as journal spots, ribbons and so much more! Once you bring up the list you can sort by title, designer, price, date added and popularity just by clicking on the column title. If you click on the same title again it will do a reverse sort as well.

Tips

To reposition a digital element on your digital scrapbooking page, simply click and drag the element on your layout to a new position.

To resize an element on your page, click on the image to activate the bounding box. Position your cursor on one of the blue handles just outside each corner and side. Click and drag one of the bars to enlarge or shrink the image.

To tilt an element on your page, click on the image and position your cursor over the Rotate Frame icon until your cursor changes into a circle of arrows. Click and drag in the direction you'd like to tilt the image.

Fotofusion automatically adds drop shadows to create the illusion of depth when you add images to the page. To tweak the shadow settings, select the element and choose View > Properties > Shadow from the Menu Bar. From the Shadow dialog box you can remove the shadow, change the color and adjust the size and position to your liking.

" To move elements in front of or behind one another in your digital page, simply click on the image and press Ctrl U (Mac: Cmd U) on your keyboard to bring the element forward (on top of other elements) or Ctrl Shift U (Mac: Cmd Shift U) on your keyboard to send the element backward (under other elements.)